Runner Beans

[langara]

It seems quite a lot of peoples runner beans are late this year, mine are at the top of the canes with an enormous amount of foliage, but very few flowers, have I over manured or are the flowers just late. Thanks

[woofgang]

I am guessing late as mine are too and I didn't use manure or any other fertiliser.

[alavahalf]

They seem to vary by a few weeks .. My main crop outdoors were all started indoors in my polly tunnel. These have been heavily producing for about 4 weeks now.
Whenever I transplant them outdoors I always put a couple of spare beans around each plant just in case the main one fails.
The spares are well on their way up the canes now and will be producing within a week or so.
Other allotment holders around me have been complaining about how late they are this year ... but they don't start them off indoors.
I maintain if you start them early and get it wrong, then you can always fall back on your spare bean plan.

[alavahalf]

Sorry .. forgot to mention runner beans are heavy feeders and the ground should have been prepared long before the beans were planted.
A trench should be dug and as much manure as you can spare should be put in. Then of course fill it in with the top soil. So you can't really have too much manure.
They are one of the few vegetables that can be grown on the same spot year on year.
Later today I will need to pick mine again ... I hope the neighbours aren't fed up with them yet !

[Chipchopper]

Probably not over manured but it may possibly be a little too high in nitrogen, hence the lush growth.
What type of manure did you use ?